Rabbit Hunting #'s Down?

gznokes · Dec 21, 2011

It has been a long time since I've seen a lot of rabbits--almost anywhere. About 20 years ago it seems like they were all over the place. I'd see them while driving on highways and running around the safebrush while I was out on dirt roads.

Now, when I travel around the praries and mountains of Utah I don't see many. It has been a long time since I remember being in an area where I thought "wow, there are a lot of rabbits out here". It seems like I used to hear about or even witness rabbit population explosions in certain areas. I haven't heard of one of those for a long time.

I'm talking about both jacks and cottontails--but mostly jacks.I still see a few cottontails but not the jack like I used to. Has something changed? or are they still out there like they used to be? Are the numbers still the same?

marley · Dec 21, 2011

I go after jack rabbits every Christmas time and it seems like they go in about 8 year cycles. Seems like there will be more than you can possibly shoot at and then gradually taper down for about 4 years and then gradually taper back up the next 4 years. That's my observation, no biology behind it. This year the numbers are definately down.

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gznokes · Dec 21, 2011

Marley, I've heard that 7-8 year cycle idea. Do you have a gut feel for where we might be on that cycle right now? (I believe you are in CO and I'm in UT so who knows how geographically specific the cycles are?)

gznokes · Dec 21, 2011

Well since I asked the question I thought maybe I should post what a response from the DWR website. (it's kind of classic DWR speak.) http://wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/news/42-utah-wildlife-news/613-four-upland-game-hunts-open-sept-1.html

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Cottontail rabbit populations go through a cycle that lasts about 10 years.

At the start of the cycle, rabbit numbers are high. Then the number of rabbits decreases until it bottoms out about five years later. After bottoming out, the population starts to increase again until it reaches a high point about five years after bottoming out.

Then the cycle repeats itself.

Dolling says the number of rabbits in Utah is increasing after bottoming out about two years ago.

DWR biologists are conducting rabbit surveys right now, and early indications are encouraging?they're seeing good numbers of rabbits in concentrated pockets across the state.

Outside of those areas, though, rabbits are scarcer.

"Rabbit populations are rebounding," Dolling says, "but they haven't reached a point where enough rabbits are available to spread out and fill all of the available habitat.

"If you can find a group of rabbits," Dolling says, "you should be in for a good hunt."

marley · Dec 21, 2011

I do live in CO but every Christmas I come to Utah to visit family and do our annual rabbit hunt. Last year was worse than the year before and my brother said it's pretty bad this year so hopefully it will start to rebound here in the next few years. We go out anyways and if we aren't seeing rabbits we are prepared with several hundred clays and we still have a blast.

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BLooDTRaCKeR · Dec 21, 2011

Went out in northern utah 3 weeks ago and only killed 3 jacks. We only saw about a dozen or so rabbits all day. Been that way the last 3 years.

Zeke · Dec 21, 2011

I'm one of the old time rabbit huntin' dudes. We used to spotlight a couple times a week. We had rabbits and I mean WE HAD RABBITS.....years ago!

We have not seen populations like that for 20 years now. They do cycle but the cycle has been down, down, down for a couple decades.

There are spots which hold a few rabbits and a good snow will confine and condense them. You'll find a few here and there but you'll probably not burn through 100+ 22-250 rounds at running Jacks in a day like we used to.

Good luck!

Zeke

PS; my coyote hunting buddy found a pocket of Jacks in NV and I'm trying to run over between the Holidays. I'll keep you posted.

marley · Dec 21, 2011

3 years ago my two brothers and I had a rabbit hunting day like we had never had before. I think our number was around 160 between the 3 of us in one day. Maybe that was our problem =)

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Hawkeye · Dec 21, 2011

Marley-

Good grief! With a day like that you guys probably eradicatd the state's rabbit posulation.

Hawkeye

Browning A-Bolt 300 Win Mag
Winchester Apex .50 Cal
Mathews Drenalin LD

Castnshoot · Dec 21, 2011

LAST EDITED ON Dec-21-11 AT 01:43PM (MST)[p]In my area {central Utah} 2005 and 2006 there were so many rabbits, both Cottontail and Jacks that would come in my yard at night that I never had to mow my grass.

They kept it looking like a golf coarse green. Now I have to mow it once a week in the summer.

There is still plenty of rabbits around my place but not over poputated right now. I think they are about due for another boom.